Step-in baby crib



Nov 3 ,'l9 3 6. -V, OHNST N' 2,059,240"

STEP-IN BABY CRIB Filed July 13, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR H VJohns ion Q -TEEK; v

Nov. 3, 1936.

H. v. JOHNSTON STEP-IN BABY CRIB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1934 HvJoim ffg ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESTEP-IN BABY CRIB Herbert V. Johnston, Modesto, Calif. Application July13, 1934, Serial No. 734,959 9Claims. (o1.5-)

This invention relates to baby cribs and particularly to a cribconstruction which facilitates the handling of the child from earlyinfancy and particularly from the time it is able to walk.

Such cribs as are now made have relatively high side railings over whichthe child must be lifted bodily when placing him in or removing him fromthe crib. When the child has reached a walking age he is frequently soheavy that it is a severe strain on the mother to raise him thenecessary distance.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to eliminate thislifting by providing the crib with a passage opening extending from topto bottom of one side railing intermediate its ends, anda step ladderleading to the bottom level of this opening, and arranged when not inuse to close the same. The ladder then forms a part of the side railingso that the child cannot crawl or fall out.

A further object is to provide a catch or holding means for the ladder,adapted to function when the ladder is in a raised or passage closingposition, which while extremely simple requires both a raising and aninwardmovement of the ladder to engage or release. In this manner thereis little possibility of the child being able to release the catch byhimself when in the crib.

I have also mounted the ladder so that it may be slid along and heldclear of the floor to one side of the opening. This leaves the openingexposed without any obstruction on the floor adjacent the crib andfacilitates the work of the mother or nurse in arranging the covers orattending to the wants of the reclining child, since the opening issufficiently wide to enable her to easily reach through the same insteadof over the top of the side railing.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crib with the ladder lowered andin operative position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the ladder raised.

Figure Bis an enlarged fragmentary transverse section showing the ladderraised and before the catch elements are engaged.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the ladder pressed in at the bottomand further raised to place the catch elements in vertical alinement.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the position of the ladder when thecatch elements are finally engaged.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan View show-' ing the cooperating catchor holding elements on the top rails of the ladder and crib.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the crib in general is of standard form and construction,comprising corner posts and legs I, bottom rails 2 secured to the postsintermediate the ends and forming a support for the springs andmattress, indicated at 3, and top rails 4 also secured to the posts.Vertical bars 5 or the like extend between and connect the top andbottom rails to form the crib enclosing railings.

Inutilizing a structure as above described for the purposes of 'myinvention, I cut away a portion of one of the top bars 4 of thecorresponding side railing intermediate its ends and between certain ofthe vertical bars 5, and remove the intervening bars to leave arectangular opening 6. This opening extends down to the bottom rail 2and is of sufficient width to permit the free passage of a childtherethrough. The ordinary bars 5 at the sides of-this opening arepreferably replaced by somewhat heavier bars 5a. The ladder, to closethe opening or to extend to the floor from the bottom rail 2 at anoutward angle, comprises side rails 1 to fit' between the bars 5a, steps8 between these rails which are horizontally disposed when the ladder isin a depending position, and an endrail or bar 9 which is at thebottom-0f the ladder when the latter is in its depending position and atthe top when the ladder is in position to close the opening 6.

The rail 9 is-of the same cross sectional size and shape as the top rail4 of the crib so as to match therewith and give the same a continuousunbroken appearance between its cut ends when the ladder is in itsraised position. Lugs in project lengthwise from the ends of the rail 9to fit sockets ll cut in the adjacent ends of the rail l and open to thetop of the same. Plates l2 are secured on the front of the rail 9 at itsends and extend beyond the same, so as to engage the front face of therail 4 and limit the rearward movement of the rail 9 relative theretobefore the lugs engage the sockets and thus line the same up vertically.

Projecting lengthwise of the ladder from the ends of the rails l nearestthe crib rail 2 are rigid hanger elements I3 having closed slots M intheir end portion. A rod I5 slidably projects through the slots, saidrod extending parallel to and slightly below the rail 2 for the lengthof the opening and being secured at its ends on said rail 2 in anysuitable manner. This rod extends some distance beyond the opening andthis extending portion which is also parallel to the rail 2 is bent nearthe opening so as to be further out from said rail than the remainder ofthe rod as plainly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The purpose of this will beshown later.

The slots l4 are of L shape form and are rel-- atively inverted when theladder is raised so that their horizontal portions then project inwardlyrelative to the crib from their vertical portions as shown in Figure 3.The rodl5 is normally disposed at the inner end of:the horizontalportion of the slots, and is yieldably held in such position by a fiatspring I6 secured to and depending from the'adjacent step of the ladderand engaging the rod in front. This horizontal portion .of the slot isalso so positioned relative to the length of the ladder that when thelatter is raised, and said rod is in said horizontal position, the criband ladder rails 4 and 9 respectively are horizontally alined, as shownin Figure 3. These rails cannot yet become longitudinally alined howeversince the lugs l0 abut against the outer face of the rail 4- and preventthe necessary inward movement of the rail 9 into place. The length ofthe vertical portion of the slots I4 however is such thatwhen the rodl5'is at the bottom of such portion, the lugs ID will clear the top ofthe rail 4, as shown in Figure 4.

In operation therefore to manipulate the ladder so that its top rail maybe alined and engaged with the rail .4; it is pressed in at the bottomafter it has been turned to a vertical position and against theresistance of the spring IG-(preferably by the knee) until the outervertical portion of the slots [4 engage the rod. The ladder may then beraised so that the lugs I0 clear the top of the rail 4, after which therail 9 is shifted inwardly so as to aline with the rail 4. Such inwardmovement is limited by the engagement of the plates I2 with the rail 4so that upon then lowering, the

ladder the lugs IIJ alinewith and enter the socketsll. When the ladderis fully lowered into place, therod l5 will be again disposed at theupper end of the vertical portion of the slots l4, and the spring [6then acts to shift the bottom of the ladder outwardly or so that saidrod is again disposed at the inner end of the horizontal portion of theslots. To release the rail 9 from the rail 4 it is necessary to againshift the lower end of the ladder inwardly so that it'can be raised todisengage the catch lugs from their sockets.

If it is desired to use the opening 6 without having the ladderextending to the floor, it is released from its closed position as abovedescribed and slid along the crib on the outside to a point beyond theopening while still. maintaining the ladder in an inverted or verticalposition. The extended portion of the supporting rod 15 being disposedfurther out from the crib than the remainder enables the ladder to bethus shifted without interfering :withthe side railing of the crib, asindicated in Figure 5. The rail Sis then in the horizontal plane of therail 4 transversely of the crib but is outwardly of the same. The laddermay then be releasably maintained in such position by suitable catchmeans such as cooperating snap catch elements "of theglove fastenertype.

It is to be noted that cribs are usually constructed with one siderailing mounted for limited vertical movement while the other siderailing is fixed. While I have here shown my ladder device as beingmounted on the fixed railing, it is immaterial in practice on which ofthe two railings it is mounted, as will be obvious.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may bexresorted to as do not form a departure from. the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a baby crib having side railings one of which is cut awayintermediate its ends from top to bottom to provide a passage opening, astep.

ladder substantially the width of the opening, a rod mounted on the cribbelow and extending lengthwise of .the opening to a termination beyondone side of the same a distance not less than the width of the ladderand hanger elements-0n the normally upper end of the ladder turnably andslidably engaging the rod; that portion of the rod which extends alongthe opening being disposed so that'the'ladder when raised will fitwithin the opening, and that portion of the rod which extends beyond theopening being disposed so that the ladder-when raised and slid along andonto said last named portion will lie outwardly of but adjacent the siderailing of. the crib.

2. In a baby crib having side railings one of which is cut awayintermediate its ends from top to bottom to provide a passage opening, astep laddersubstantially the width of the opening, said railing havinga-top railremoved across the opening, means turnably mounting the nor--mally upper end of the ladder on the crib adjacentand below the openingso that said ladder may be raised from a depending position to avertical position in.the opening, and a rail on the then upper end ofthe ladder to fit between and aline both transversely and verticallywith the top rail portions of the side railing.

3. A structure as in claim 2, with releasable catchmeans between saidtop rail and the.1adder rail.

4. A structure as in claim 2, with releasable catch means between saidtop rail and the-ladder rail, and means formed with the catch means:

and the ladder mounting means to prevent re-:

leasing of the catch means unless the ladder is.

moved inwardly at its mountedend and raised while thus held moved.

5. A structure as in claim 2, with. releasable catch means between saidtop rail and the ladder rail, means formed with the catch means and theladder mounting means to prevent releasing of the catch means unless theladder is moved inwardly at its mounted end and raised;

ly upper end of the ladder on the cribadjacent and below the opening sothat said ladder may be raised from a depending position to a verticalposition in the opening, said mounting means comprising hanger elementsprojecting from said end of the ladder having L shaped slots therein, arod mounted on the crib parallel to said side railing thereof andprojecting through the slots and on which the hanger elements areturnable, lugs projecting laterally from the then upper end of theladder, the adjacent ends of the top rail sections having sockets cutdown from the top to receive the lugs; the slots being inverted when theladder is raised and the horizontal portions projecting inwardly of thecrib, and means yieldably maintaining the inner end of the horizontalslot portions against the rod; the distance from the rod to the lugswhen said rod is thus disposed being the same as that from said rod tothe sockets whereby to engage the lugs in the sockets from the top, theladder must be raised.

'7. A structure as in claim 6, with guide plates fixed on the ladderoutwardly of the lugs to engage the sides of the top rail when theladder is raised suificiently for the lugs to clear said rail, so as toaline the lugs with the sockets in a vertical plane.

8. In combination, a baby crib having side railings, one of which is cutaway intermediate its ends from top to bottom to provide a passageopening, a step ladder substantially the width and height of theopening, means mounting the ladder on the crib so that said ladder maybe selectively moved to depend from the opening or raised to form aclosure for the same, said mounting means comprising a fixed rodextending lengthwise of the crib below the opening and elements on thenormally upper end of the ladder having slots extending lengthwise ofthe ladder and through which the rod projects, lugs projectinglengthwise of the crib from the opposite end of the ladder and disposedabove the top of the crib railing when the ladder is raised to a closureforming position and the bottom of the slots engage the rod, the saidrailing having sockets cut down from the top to receive said lugs, andguide elements on the ladder adjacent its then upper end to engage therailing on the outside and locate the lugs in vertical alinement withthe sockets.

9. In combination, a baby crib having side railings one of which is cutaway intermediate its ends from top to bottom to provide a passageopening, a step ladder substantially the height and width of theopening, means mounting the ladder on the crib so that said ladder maybe selectively moved to depend from the opening or raised to form aclosure for the same releasable catch means between the railing andladder a1"- ranged to function when the latter is raised to a closureforming position, and means included with the ladder mounting means toprevent release of the catch means unless the ladder is both movedinwardly at its mounted end and raised while thus held moved.

HERBERT V. JOHNSTON.

